This invention relates to a device for the spinal immobilization of a patient and more particularly to a flexible spinal immobilization device.
Splints of the type to which the present invention relates are frequently used in emergency situations such as automobile accidents in which the patient suffered injury or suspected injury to the back or neck areas. The handling of such injured patients requires special care in order to avoid further injury to the patient during the patient's extrication from the site of the accident and transfer to a hospital. Conventional stretchers do not meet the need of such patients as it is often necessary to extricate the patient from a wrecked automobile, building site or some similar location where the patient can not be disposed easily onto a stretcher. In these cases, it is conventional to endeavor to immobilize the spinal column of the patient.
Devices for spinal immobilization are known in the art. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,211,218; 4,936,296;4,584,729; 5,568,662; and 5,515,869. The devices described in these patents are complicated and cumbersome to use.
It would be desirable to provide a spinal immobilization device which is simple and easy to use.